We’ve all heard the term “chokers’ – athletes or teams who lose from a seemingly unlosable position. Check out 5 of the worst ”chokes” in sport.
It’s widely accepted that victory and defeat are the two main factors of any sporting contest. While we play sports or support participants with the goal of victory in sight, we simultaneously have to accept that defeat is as much a possibility as victory in any contest. And while most of us can accept that fact and learn to deal with a loss, that loss is so much more heartbreaking when a player or team “snatches defeat from the jaws of victory”.
Specifically, we’re talking about when a player or team seems to be in an impregnable winning position, yet somehow, manages to lose the match. This phenomenon is often referred to as “choking”- losing primarily due to an inability to handle the pressure of the contest at some point.
Here are some of the worst “chokes” that have happened in professional sports:
Jana Novotna – Wimbledon (1993)
It’s hard to argue that this isn’t the greatest choke in tennis history. Czech Jana Novotna seemed destined to win her first Wimbledon and first Grand Slam title in 1993 in the final against the legendary Steffi Graf. Novotna was leading 4-1, (40-30) on serve in the 3rd set; a position that in most tennis matches would seem unbeatable.
But it took Graf barely 10 minutes to fight back and win the third set 6-4, resulting in Graf’s 5th Wimbledon title. Novotna was so devastated to lose from this winning position that she burst into tears and cried on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent during the trophy ceremony. Novotna somewhat made up for this defeat when she won Wimbledon in 1998.
Hungary – FIFA World Cup (1954)
While Hungary has never won a FIFA World Cup, they had a golden opportunity to do so in the 1954 final against West Germany but managed to blow it. At the time, Hungary was one of the best teams in the world, having remained undefeated for 31 games across 5 years prior to the World Cup held in Switzerland. As such, Hungary were clear favourites heading into the final, especially as they had beaten the Germans 8-3 in an earlier World Cup match.
And then, in the final, they seemed to be walking away with the title after leading 2-0 after eight minutes. Somehow, they lost 3-2 in what is widely considered the greatest upset in World Cup final history. While Germany now considers this match to be the “Miracle of Bern”, Hungarians never speak about it and prefer to pretend that it never happened.
South Africa – ICC World Cup Semi-Final (1999)
South African cricket’s reputation for choking was firmly established in the 1999 World Cup semifinal, as cool Proteas heads were nowhere to be found. The Proteas’ chase of 214 against Australia was a see-saw affair, with both teams holding the upper hand in a classic match. Eventually, South Africa reached the total of 213 for 9 wickets, with 4 balls remaining. On strike was Lance Klusener (the most destructive batter in the tournament), who had just hit two scintillating boundaries off Damian Fleming. All he and number 11 Allan Donald had to do was find a way to score 1 run from one of the remaining 4 balls.
But Klusener and Donald both panicked; there was almost a run out off the next ball before Klusener hit the 4th ball of the over straight to the mid-off fielder and started running. Donald didn’t respond and dropped his bat, leading to Klusener reaching the non-striker's end but Donald being stranded as he was run out at the keeper’s end. While it ended up as a tied match, the Aussies went through to the final due to a superior run rate. The ghosts of this moment lingered long after, as South Africa has yet to win a Cricket World Cup.
Jean Van de Velde – British Open (1999)
French golfer Jean Van De Velde wasn’t exactly a household name before the 1999 British Open – he was ranked 152 in the world and had one European tour victory. But everyone in the golf world knew his name after the tournament, as he spectacularly imploded from a winning position. Walking to the 18th tee, he still had a 3-shot lead having started the day with a 5-shot lead. Even if he scored a double-bogey, it would have been enough to win a tournament in which he had proven himself in horrid conditions.
What happened next will unfortunately go down in history as one of the biggest chokes in golf. In comical circumstances, Van de Velde drove the ball to the right, got tangled up in the rough, and then hit the ball in the water then a bunker. Ultimately, he shot a 7 on the hole, which saw him drop into a three-way playoff, which he lost.
Houston Oilers – NFL Play-Offs (1993)
In terms of American football, this loss must surely go down as one of the biggest chokes ever. The Houston Oilers (now known as the Tennessee Titans) were up 35-3 against the Buffalo Bills early in the third quarter, as they took advantage of a Bills team without their first-choice quarterback. The Oilers proceeded to lose the match (in overtime)41-38, a comeback that ranks among the greatest in NFL history and is known in NFL folklore simply as The Comeback. After such an embarrassing choke, it's no wonder that the Oilers changed their name.
Show your winning mettle at Gbets
Prove that you’re not a choker and enjoy some awesome wins at Gbets! Visit www.gbets.coza today and bet on a wide variety of sports markets.
Score your own victory with Gbets
Want to feel the thrill of victory that all these sportspeople felt during their epic comeback? Play at www.gbets.co.za and experience all the best sports betting action – perhaps your pick will even stage a great comeback to give you a big win!